Jeremiah 50:4-10 – Trust God and be responsible leaders

Just at the time when God was bringing judgment upon Babylon, there was also a stirring in the hearts of His covenant people.  The opportune time for them had to return to God. Jeremiah 50:4-5 described how both the people of Israel as well as those from Judah had a change of heart toward God. They earnestly sought God with tears of repentance. All they wanted was God’s direction for their lives. Turning their faces toward Zion they were returning to their Lord and to their unforgettable covenant with Him, which they had neglected.

How did the people of God wander so far away from God like lost sheep and end in such a miserable predicament? Jeremiah 50:6-10 provide us with the reason. It was the negligence of the leaders. They were wayward shepherds they led the people astray. They had made the people turn from the Lord to seek other gods. Unwittingly, the leaders had encouraged the people to participate in idolatrous worship. Instead of focusing on the mountain of the Lord, they were running after idols from hill to hill. They had forgotten the “resting place,” the temple of God, the only sanctuary that could provide the rest they sought.

 

Babylon, the instrument God used to chastise His people were arrogant. They even had the audacity to claim that they were not guilty of how they had assaulted God’s people. Their argument was that the Judean had brought this on themselves for sinning against the Lord and forsaking God, the only sanctuary for the righteous.  

 

In verse 8,  God encouraged His people to gallantly leave Babylon for the time had come. They must courageously, like male goats, seize the opportunity and be the first to head for their freedom. Verses 9-10 speak of the opportune time. God was dealing with the Babylonians.   He was bringing a horde of nations from the north to deal with them. Their enemies would plunder the land, carry away their goods, and leave them empty of their possession.

 

What lessons are there for us in these verses? Firstly we cannot get away from the fact that God is sovereign. He has the whole world in His hand. The outcome of our lives is determined by our relationship with Him and how much we trust Him.  Secondly, there is a lesson for us who are called into leadership. How we lead is critical. We must always lead people toward God and not away from Him. Never be the reason for their spiritual waywardness.  As leaders, be a blessing and not a curse. We must be responsible and have the right influence on the people.